1. Field of the Invention
This disclosure relates generally to container closures, and, more specifically, to a push-on twist-off closure, which can be quickly secured onto the container or removed from the container.
2. Background
Various containers for storing and transporting liquids have been known and used throughout recorded history. Today, personal containers for transporting liquids are a normal part of our lives. Consumers regularly purchase beverages in single serving containers, which allow them to conveniently carry their beverage and dispose the container after use. Many individuals also own reusable bottles, which help avoid the costs of single serving beverage products, reduce impacts on the environment, and provide a convenient mode for ensuring those individuals receive ample daily hydration.
Reusable bottles are typically manufactured in plastic, metal, or glass. These containers often include a narrowing neck with a fluid access opening. A number of closures types have been used to secure this opening and prevent spillage or leakage, including lids, corks, snap-ons, and screw caps. However, many of these closure mechanisms do not provide the characteristics that modern consumers desire, such as speed of use, ease of use, and assurance that liquids are securely sealed inside the container. For this reason, consumers are continually seeking improved closure mechanisms for sealing containers.
The most common closures for reusable bottles are screw-on plastic or metal caps. Typically, these caps include threads on their inside diameter with counterpart threads on a bottle neck's outside diameter. The cap secures onto the bottle via a screwing motion, which engages the threads and pulls the cap downward onto the bottle. To seal liquid from escaping, the caps typically include a sealing material, which compresses between the bottle lip and the cap when the threads are completely engaged. This solution provides the consumer ease of use and assurance that their liquids are securely sealed. However, consumers would desire a closure mechanism that can be more quickly engaged and disengaged relative to the container.
One bottle closure system that takes into account speed of use includes male circular nubs evenly spaced around the outer diameter of the bottle neck. These nubs fit within short helical tracks formed within the inner diameter of the closure. The user pushes the cap down while completing perhaps a quarter turn to secure and seal the bottle. A fault with this system is that it may be considered overly easy to disengage and may not provide peace of mind that the liquids will remain secure inside the container during transport.
Swing-top solutions consist of a stopper made from cork, rubber, or other sealing materials attached to a latch system. When the latch is engaged, the stopper is secure and the bottle is sealed. When the latch is disengaged, the stopper swings away from the bottle neck and the user gains access to the contained liquid. While this system may provide quicker access to the bottle's contents than a screw-on solution, consumers would desire an even speedier solution. In addition, many consumers would not consider this mechanism easy to use. And further, the latch system must remain permanently affixed to the bottle, so the swinging feature is often an annoyance during typical pouring and drinking operations.
Button- or toggle-activated systems typically include more complex mechanics then the above described systems. These closures can often be quickly engaged to secure liquids in bottles and containers. In one button- or toggle-activated embodiment, the closure defaults to its locked configuration at all times except when the button or toggle is engaged. In order to seal the container, the user must perform two actions at one time, pushing the closure onto the container while concurrently pressing the button or toggle. When the closure is near its sealed position, the user releases the button or toggle, which attaches the closure to the container and forms a seal which liquid cannot escape. Although this mechanism can be quickly engaged and disengaged, a drawback of this system is that the user is required to perform two actions concurrently—placement of the closure on the bottle neck and active engagement of the button or toggle. These actions may be awkward for the user. Further, if the user performs the actions improperly, he risks releasing the button or toggle prematurely, which may result in various semi-secure interfaces between the closure and container.